COMMS 202 : Audiences and Users
Arts
2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
When you're playing a game, watching a video, or reading, what kind of action are you taking? How are you changed - and by whom? What kind of feelings are generated? As media and communication scholars we often focus on the texts and what they mean. This course will instead focus on the common but complex behaviors of the audiences and users who watch, listen, play, click, like and stream media.
We will examine various ways that audiences have been conceived, addressed, and measured and examine how audiences and users are situated in particular contexts. We will find that members of the audience slip between roles: here a citizen, there a revenue source; here an active participant, there an unwitting target of surveillance and manipulation.
We will examine the various ways that audiences have been conceived, addressed, measured and empowered by technologies of communication media. Theories and ideas to be studied include reception models, research methods, consumption, citizenship, fandom and identity formation. We will discuss different audiences and think about the political implications of their conceptualization (e.g. by considering race and gender). Students will study historical and contemporary context of audience and users research while conceptualising and critically evaluating their own audience project.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Conceptualise audiences within contexts of consumption, politics and culture (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.2)
- Interpret various genres/approaches/ theories of audience research (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.2)
- Critically evaluate producers' relationships to audiences and users (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 5.1)
- Critically analyse different areas of audience and users research (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1)
- Critically evaluate ethical and political implications of audiences and users engagement (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.3)
- Conceptualise and conduct a research project (including proposal writing, pitch and interview design) (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2 and 6.3)
- Critical self-evaluation and reflections on audience and users research (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 5.2 and 6.3)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly Responses | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Project Proposal | 20% | Individual Coursework |
| Project Pitch | 15% | Individual Coursework |
| Criticl Essay | 25% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Project | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| 5 types | 100% |
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 4 hours of work on assignments (plus midsemester break and exam study period).
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information,
look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894),
which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.